THE BELTED KINGFISHER. 9()9 



of the rest, excepting the outermost; all, excepting the two middle ones, 

 brownish-black, barred with white. A broad band of white across the neck, 

 broader anteriorly and including the chin and throat. A band of blue across 

 the fore part of the breast. The rest of the under parts white, excepting the 

 sides, which are mottled with blue. 



Length 12-| inches, extent of wings 20; bill along the ridge 2, along the 

 gap 2|; tarsus -|, middle toe 1 T ^. 



Adult Female. 



The blue of the female is much duller. The band on the upper part of 

 the breast is of dull greyish-blue and light red intermixed; below this is a 

 narrow band of white, and across the middle of the breast a broad band of 

 yellowish-red, of which colour also are the sides. The rest of the under 

 parts are white, tinged with red. 



An adult male preserved in spirits measures to end of tail 13^ inches, to 

 end of wings 11-i, to end of claws lOy 4 ^; wing from flexure 6^; tail 4. The 

 roof of the mouth is rather flat behind, with the sides sloping upwards; it 

 has two short longitudinal ridges, and is covered with minute papillae. The 

 posterior aperture of the nares is linear behind, oblong before, ^ inch in 

 length. The anterior part of the palate is moderately concave, with a 

 median ridge and numerous oblique lateral grooves. The lower mandible 

 is also moderately concave, with a prominent middle line. The tongue is 

 very short, only 5 twelfths in length, 2|- twelfths in breadth, fleshy, with 

 two lateral prominent lamellae at the base, its upper surface slightly convex, 

 its sides parallel until 2 twelfths from the tip, when it tapers abruptly to a 

 bluntish point. The breadth of the mouth is 11 J twelfths. The oesophagus, 

 a b c, is 5i inches long, of the uniform width of 7 twelfths; its parietes very 

 thin, the inner coat thrown into longitudinal rugae. The liver is large, its 

 left lobe much smaller than the other, the former being 1 inch 1 1 twelfths 

 in length, the latter 1 inch 4 twelfths. There is no gall-bladder. The 

 stomach, c d e, is very large, roundish, a little compressed, its diameter 1 

 inch 7 twelfths. The proventricular glands are extremely small, and occupy 

 a belt 5 twelfths in breadth. The muscular coat of the stomach is very thin, 

 but composed of strong fasciculi, the middle coat is nearly of equal thickness; 

 internally there is a complete epithelium, which, however, although tough, 

 is very thin, almost membranous, and raised into numerous tortuous rugae, 

 without any part being thicker than another. The pylorus has six marginal 

 roundish fleshy papillae. The duodenum, efg, presents the usual curvature, 

 being folded back upon itself at the distance of 1 inch 8 twelfths; the intes- 

 tine, g h i, then forms several convolutions, and is of great length, but very 

 narrow, and disposed in 24 folds. Its length is 3 feet 10 inches, its width 

 Vol. IV. 29 



